Fensetter Falls
Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
On a snowy Thanksgiving eve the latter day Fensetters gathered in the failing town that bears their name. But the occasion had an ominous note, for the family fortune has shrunk to an alarming level. In the best genetic tradition, the inheriting sons resolve to swindle each other and enlist outside help to do the job. So with a voluptuous "interceding" gypsy and a sinister, semi-retired hitman moving into the old mansion, the future of Fensetter Falls is about to be decided. Or is it? What ensues, as church and state conflict, will be under the watchful eye of Doris Pilkerson, whose devotion to the town is all encompassing.
A tale set in the foothills of New Hampshire's White Mountains, these same hills will play an intriguing role in the fate of this odd hamlet. Fensetter Falls knows both good and evil...and the townsfolk wonder now...which is which.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Young’s novel is smart, atmospheric, and darkly funny. Readers will have no trouble following this smoothly flowing story wherein the Fensetter family and the inhabitants of Fensetter Falls decide to take their fate into their own hands.
Prose/Style: Young’s well-crafted prose transports readers to the fading town of Fensetter Falls. Young has developed distinct voices for this large cast of characters, including hitmen, drunks, police officers, attorneys, a religious zealot, and a gypsy. Young’s prose proves sharp and clever.
Originality: Young takes a premise familiar to readers – one where a wealthy family gathers to learn the fate of their large estate – and delivers a sharp, witty story that grows increasingly outrageous.
Character Development: The characters of Fensetter Falls are highly memorable and authentic. Young juggles multiple distinct and eccentric characters, all of whom are necessary to tell the story of this aging New England town.
Date Submitted: April 22, 2020
